To vote or not to vote?

Potential Exam Questions  Explain, in detail, why people choose not to vote  Explain, in detail, why people use their right to vote

Russell Brand – ‘Don’t vote’  In 2013, Russell Brand encouraged people not to vote  Watch the interview with Brand and Jeremy Paxman and answer the question below Watch the interview  Why does Russell Brand not use his right vote?

Does your vote always count?  In UK General Elections, only one party can win in each area  Why then, would a Conservative voter here in Cumbernauld be turned off of voting in the 2015 election?  Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East – 2010 Election Result  Labour – 23,549  SNP – 9,794  Lib Dem – 3,924  Conservative – 3,407

Reasons For Not Voting  People, like Brand, don’t feel the system represents them very well and only serve the interests of the rich  Some people don’t feel their vote will make a difference as the system is unfair (see previous slide)  The candidates on offer might not be to a voter’s liking  Elections are often predictable due to the wide range of opinion polls that are carried out. Therefore people see little point in joining in

Why do people vote?  Think back to earlier in this course to help you with this task  Create a mind map which shows at least four reasons why people use their vote  Be ready to share these with the rest of the class

Why people vote? – Some ideas  They see it as their duty – people have given up a lot in the past to allow us to vote  The election in their area will be very close – their vote could make a difference  They are passionate about the outcome, for example the referendum coming up in September  Can you really complain about the winners when you didn’t take part in the election?  They have been persuaded to vote by an effective campaign  Protest against what the current government is doing, for example the Bedroom tax